CIW | WGCU PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida

Artist Jonathan Martinez, 22, center, whose Mexican parents first worked on farms when they arrived in the U.S. more than two decades ago, holds a hand-painted sign as protests along with his sister Paola, right, a 19-year-old cosmetology student, against Florida Senate bill 1718, which imposes restrictions on undocumented immigrants, Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Immokalee, Fla.

Immigration

Florida immigration advocacy groups are pushing back against DeSantis' border policies

Adrian Andrews

Humanitarian-aid orgs say the state’s newest anti-immigration laws will hurt it, in the long run.

On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, the Chilean delegation toured a tomato farm in Parrish, Pacific Tomato Growers, and got to see the Fair Food Program in action. A delegation comprising of Chilean agricultural producers, human rights activists and government representatives has traveled to Southwest Florida to meet with representatives and see the workings of the Fair Food Program (FFP) first-hand. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, creators of the Fair Food Program, hosted the delegation for meetings, live farm tours and a look at Immokalee during the week of April 24-28th. Efforts to expand the Fair Food Program into Chile’s agricultural industry is the goal. Extending Chile’s human rights protections to workers, and certifying ethical producers, in that country.

Human Interest

Chilean delegation travels to Southwest Florida to learn how to eradicate modern-day slavery

Eileen Kelley

The Fair Food Program, the signature creation of Coalition of Immokalee Workers, is expanding internationally.

Farmworkers and their allies marched on Palm Beach. Around 500 peaceful protesters came out on the last day of the march in support of the farmworkers. With the determination to “build a new world”, where farmworkers can live free of human rights abuses and have dignified work the Farmworkers and allies marched the 45, plus, miles. On Tuesday they left the fields of Pahokee, FL, and walked to the wealthy enclave of Palm Beach. One of the biggest goals for the march was to put pressure on Wendy’s, Publix and Kroger corporations into joining the Fair Food Program. FFP was started by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

Human Interest

They marched to end modern day slavery in the agricultural fields

Eileen Kelley and Andrea Melendez/WGCU Investigative Team

Farmworkers share stories of life in the Florida agricultural fields

A five-day, almost 50-miles, march began in Pakokee, FL, Tuesday morning, and will end in Palm Beach, FL, as Farmworkers and their allies gathered to march and bring awareness to the abuse and mistreatment of migrant farmworkers and bring light to the Fair Food Program. Even calling on retail giants like Wendy’s Publix and Kroger to join in on the FFP. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers led the “Build A New World March”. Pahokee was chosen as the starting point for the march after Florida’s most recent forced labor prosecution happened there. Dozens of workers were being held there against their will at a labor camp that sold watermelons.

Human Interest

Over 100 start march across Florida to protest modern slavery in the agricultural fields

Eileen Kelley

For more than a decade the Coalition of Immokalee Workers have been trying to entice giant retailers to join the Fair Food Program. Wendy's, Publix and Kroger have been hold-outs